Whats a good bag rated for 0 deg? Really looking for something that will work in upto -10c, Is Big Agnes any good>?

Thanks

Arjun

What is your physical size, body type, where will you use this and how long per trip. What, if any, is your budgetary limit?

I would suggest the Valandre Shocking Blue as the finest down bag I have had/used and I have had lots of them and from the best makers, Integral Designs of Canada, Western Mountaineering of California and Feathered Friends of Seattle. These are the finest down bags one can buy and any of their models that will FIT you and is rated about 10* colder than you expect to need will work very well and is a lifetime investment, if you treat it properly.

For synthetic-filled bags, there is one that I consider so far above anything else, that it is all I recommend. This is the Integral Designs North Twin-Andromeda Overbag combo, shown in the "Tactical" section of the ID website. I have this and it is my hunting bag and has proven superb in the 5 years I have used it here in BC. I can go to about -10*F in this and it copes with wet better than any other bag I have used....that is about 3 dozen in 47+ years of active backpack and hunting camping in British Columbia.

It would be helpful to know what the intended purpose will be. Are you casually camping in cold weather or are you serious backpacking where your life depends on staying warm? For serious endeavors in the cold,
I would only recommend down bags, too much weight and bulk with synthetic. From my experience in mountaineering during the Colorado winters as well as the Alps, I recommend Marmot. I have Reynolds disease and get cold very easily so I got the CWM (pronounced 'coom‘). It has always kept me warm and dry when my life depended on it. For your temperatures though, would recommend a -20 bag or better. Based off my experience and what my climbing partners carried, I would also recommend the following bags:

1. Marmot Col or CWM
2. Western Mountaineering Puma (I would put this as number one but I got to stay with my brand loyalty)
3.Valandre Freja
4. Rab Expedition 1000
5. Feathered Friends Peregrine

I have had friends try MontBell (durability issues), Big Agnes (to big and clumsy and did not ‘fit’ the user as well as durability issues) , North Face (junk!) , and mountain Hardware (kept getting a draft in the bag and down got wet) , they just don’t stack up with the ones previously mentioned.

My info is somewhat dated as I am still using my Marmont Mountain down bags I have had for many years.

I much prefer a down bag, Unless I will be in extremely wet conditions, where temps will be under 32 degrees F a fair amount. I have a Mountain Hardware synthentic 0 degree bag for those conditions.
I also carry a silk insert for my bags that adds 5 degrees or so, and helps keep my bag clean on long trips.

What ever bag you get make sure it has a good hood, and a draft collar for you neck. They makd a workd of difference.

Also, I always have a balaclava hood, and fingerless gloves, they can make a big difference in comfort.

quote:

My info is somewhat dated as I am still using my Marmont Mountain down bags I have had for many years.

I much prefer a down bag, Unless I will be in extremely wet conditions, where temps will be under 32 degrees F a fair amount. I have a Mountain Hardware synthentic 0 degree bag for those conditions.
I also carry a silk insert for my bags that adds 5 degrees or so, and helps keep my bag clean on long trips.

What ever bag you get make sure it has a good hood, and a draft collar for you neck. They makd a workd of difference.

Also, I always have a balaclava hood, and fingerless gloves, they can make a big difference in comfort.

I agree with everything stated here... I have been using, of all things, bags from LLbean and they have been very good. I have camped on snow at about 10 degrees in a +20 degree LLBean bag and been comfortable. Decent Thermarest, a liner in your bag and you are good to go. I'm a big dude and put off a lot of heat though so your experience may vary...

I have found that two down bags, each rated at 0 to 20 worked well for me. I put one indside the other. If I need less warmth, I leave one zipper open, something a single bag will not accomodate.
Also be sure you have a good insulated ground mat to lay on. The best bag will have trouble keeping you comfortable if your body weight compresses the insulation to it's minimum and then the ground cold sucks the heat from you.

I honestly cannot give a recommendation today, as I am rather behind the times. I've used an Alpine Designs long extra loft down mummy bag that I bought in Boston in the 1970s. It works for me and my son and daughter have also used it all over Europe and Asia.

Today, however, if I were buying one, I'd take into account hunting in Alaska and other wet places. From what I read, the synthetic bags used by the US special forces and made by Wiggy's are the most favored option. As you know, down is pretty useless if it gets wet and it is hard to dry in bad conditions. For a long term purchase, it pays to get the latest technology and Wiggy's bags are said to be warm, durable and readily washable. Others may know more, though.

we have the big agnes it's junk

i've been usiing north face -20 bags and i LOVE IT, tundra i think its called. super comfy. also used cascade designs and mt hardware bags all with great success. i basicly shop by weight and my6 -20 is about 4lbs and well worth it every night i crawl in it!!

It's not that popular anymore due to environmental concerns but if you lay down a good 18" of spruce boughs then your ground pad on top of them you'll be way warmer than simply putting the pad on the snow. Sometimes I leave the ground pad at home now and use the boughs to save a bit of weight where it's permissable to cut them. It always amazes me how much cold comes through the bottom of my bag when it's compressed under me.

You can also heat some water and put it in your trusty nalgene water bottle and roll it in a shirt etc. it'll keep your toes cosy all night. In the morning the water will still be lukewarm and ready to reheat for coffee. It also helps to dry things out a bit.

I bought a 0 degree Northface 2 years ago for Alaska and loved it. Very warm. I bought the bigger size, don't remember the name. But I had enough room at 6.2' & 240pds.

Wiggy's

the hot nalgene bottle trick works really well as do the boughs under you, anything you can get under you will make a huge difference regardless of what your sleeping bag is rated for.
also don't wear to much clothes in a sleeping bag, one leg heats the other and so on, to much and your not sharing heat with your own body.

quote:

Originally posted by ozark hunter:
Wiggy's

I would quickly recommend the same. I bought a mummy bag about ten years ago and am still impressed with it.
A good ground pad helps a ton.

quote:

Originally posted by calgarychef1:
It's not that popular anymore due to environmental concerns but if you lay down a good 18" of spruce boughs then your ground pad on top of them you'll be way warmer than simply putting the pad on the snow. Sometimes I leave the ground pad at home now and use the boughs to save a bit of weight where it's permissable to cut them. It always amazes me how much cold comes through the bottom of my bag when it's compressed under me.

You can also heat some water and put it in your trusty nalgene water bottle and roll it in a shirt etc. it'll keep your toes cosy all night. In the morning the water will still be lukewarm and ready to reheat for coffee. It also helps to dry things out a bit.

Come on now, Chef, you gotta tell em about that unique sleeping suit of yours. Slickest rig I've seen for a long time and sure looked cosy. Wish I'd taken a picture. Did a ride out there last week and thought about you.

Grizz

Ha! Grizz that was some night wasn't it? One to keep in mind for things not to do again. Dang those elk hunters are a tough and foolish bunch.

Seems like everybody who asks questions about outdoor sleeping are only concerned about the sleeping bag.

What about what you wear in the sleeping bag? I would think that would be a major part of the whole deal.

I see that Columbia is now offering outdoor clothing that has wiring in it and can be heated up. Also using reflective material in their clothing. Perhaps those things will be next used in sleeping bags.

I would take a Western Mountaineering in any way - best with Dryloft outer fabric - I have 2 of them and if I need a new one it will be another WM!

Klaus#

quote:

Originally posted by BigNate:

quote:

Originally posted by ozark hunter:
Wiggy's

I would quickly recommend the same. I bought a mummy bag about ten years ago and am still impressed with it.
A good ground pad helps a ton.

I have several Wiggy's bags the latest one a 20 degree mummy style. All the rest are rectangular. So far just spent one under 20* night in the bag and was toasty but I am fairly warm sleeper.

What I like about Wiggy's is the lifetime guaranty, made in the USA, will make a bag to your specs and the biggest of all, you can launder the bag at home time after time and it still works.. I bought one of the 40* Desert bags in 1995 for a western trip...it is my most used bag and has been washed no less than 10 times.

As to what I wear in the bag, when cold a set of Wiggy's nylon chain mesh LongJohns, loose/light wool socks and if necessary a wool watch cap... Just a theory I heard but it works for me, the less clothing you wear to bed the more your body can heat the insulation to keep you warmer. Several of the guys I camp with just can't get into a sleeping bag with little on. And they usually don't sleep well...usually cold or clammy... Never has happened to me.

Bob

I ended up hiring a $600 sleeping bag from Eastern Mtn sports in NY city for $5/day and it was great. I think it was their own brand of bag. If I do more of these mtn hunts I will consider buying a good bag.

Thanks

AR

I have used the old stlye Military extreme cold mummysleeping bag on two Alaskan hunts and they served me well. The only draw back is they are heavy and somewhat bulky. I used compression strapsto compress it. There where a couple of nights that got down to the low teens maybe even single digits and it kept me comfortable to the point I did not want to get out.

I have an Eddie Bauer Karakoram 0 degree down filled bag that I bought 45 years ago when Eddie Bauer was still in the real oufitting business. It has never let me down.

I use a Kifaru Regulator am am very pleased with it.

The old outdoor writer Bob Hagel wrote and article on sleeping bags once. He indicated that they generally were marketed at an optimistic temperature under ideal conditions. I have spent many nights in one and found his assessment to be true. I am tall so the weight of synthetic filler is spread over a larger bag. Therefore I buy an even heavier bag to get the dacron density back. One light bag and one heavy bag seems good for bitter cold. Extra insulated underwear is good too. on milder night stuff it into the bag to keep it warm so you can pull it on without getting out of your bag. Otherwise just put it on when you crawl in.
you will be partially dressed and protected when you crawl out of your bag in the morning.

Cascade Designs from Barney's. Can't go wrong and C.D. bags are lighter than most.

I'm with you Wigger's...
AK

I'm really happy with my Mountain Hardware Phantom sleeping bag. It is a light weight, 800 fill down bag that is well constructed and packs small. I used it on a 2nd season elk hunt in CO at 9600ft and slept warm and comfy. Because it is a down bag, I normally use a bivy sack to keep it dry and free of condensation.

I have my eyes on a Western Mountaineering Sequoia GWR. It's a 5 deg bag but I am a warm sleeper. It is an expensive bag but I think they make the best bags on the market.

For 20 years my backpack sleeping bag was a 0 degree North Face, but I used it so much my body oils just reduced its effectiveness to the point it was worthless, and yes I washed it regularly. Last year I purchased a Western Mountaineering Sequoia and used it for 4 weeks in the Mountains of BC on 2 horseback/backpack hunts. I give it very high marks. Even though I'm only 6 foot, I always buy my bags 6'6" so I have more room to wear cloths for colder temps, plus I can put items in the bag with me. Sometimes I've put my boots and waterbottle in there to keep them from freezing. The WM bags are well made, light, roomy and very easy to operate when your inside all bundled up. Through the years, its harder for me to stay warm sleeping, so my 0 bag is good to maybe 20 degress, but at temps below this I just put more cloths on to sleep.
I have close to 10 different bags for different uses, one being a Wiggy system (multiple bags together)which works well but it is not a backpackers bag, way too big and heavy. The outer shell would work for backpacking but it's not even close to a 0 degree bag and there is so much better avaible. The wiggy is well made and very comfortable but again, I'd never throw it in pack and take off in the mountains, I'd not be able to fit any food in my pack.
AH

It is a very good idea to buy your bag "longer" than you are.

Many quality bags have a tougher material inside the bag in the food area.
In below zero weather I always put my boots and at least one water bottle in the bottom of my bag.

If you have camera, or video batteries it is a good idea to put them in the bottom of the bag too.

When Edmund Hillary was getting near the top of Everest, he wore his boots in the sleeping bag because they would be too frozen to get on again if he didn't.

My BIG -40 deg long Cabelas Alaskan Guide model weighs 5 lb 2oz but dang man, it's warm and it was FREE. I use my Cabelas VISA for everything I buy, pay the card off every month. I then use my points.

http://www.cabelas.com/product...95280%3Bcat104770080

Alan

quote:

Originally posted by thecanadian:
It would be helpful to know what the intended purpose will be. Are you casually camping in cold weather or are you serious backpacking where your life depends on staying warm? For serious endeavors in the cold,
I would only recommend down bags, too much weight and bulk with synthetic. From my experience in mountaineering during the Colorado winters as well as the Alps, I recommend Marmot. I have Reynolds disease and get cold very easily so I got the CWM (pronounced 'coom‘). It has always kept me warm and dry when my life depended on it. For your temperatures though, would recommend a -20 bag or better. Based off my experience and what my climbing partners carried, I would also recommend the following bags:

1. Marmot Col or CWM
2. Western Mountaineering Puma (I would put this as number one but I got to stay with my brand loyalty)
3.Valandre Freja
4. Rab Expedition 1000
5. Feathered Friends Peregrine

I have had friends try MontBell (durability issues), Big Agnes (to big and clumsy and did not ‘fit’ the user as well as durability issues) , North Face (junk!) , and mountain Hardware (kept getting a draft in the bag and down got wet) , they just don’t stack up with the ones previously mentioned.

On the basis of this recommendation, a year or so ago a desperate me bought my wife a Marmot Col. Kate was always cold, even in a —15 synthetic bag (LL Bean) at +20 degrees F. (I have the same LL Bean bag and was just fine in temperatures that chilled her.)

Now, she sleeps warm as toast. Boy did I score points!

Thanks for the recommendation. Should we ever meet, I'll buy the beer.

I have used a big Agnes Hans peak -20 on multiple Wyoming and Colorado trips in weather ranging from 60 to 0 degrees along with a thermorest neo air sleeping pad and the combo worked great and was light weight.